“These six basic steps form a developmental ladder; each layers new abilities onto those of prior stages. We identify each of these steps because each one marks a major turning point in the life of a child.”

The six basic steps are

Level 1: Self-regulation and interest in the world

Level 2: Intimacy, engagement, and falling in love

Level 3: Two-way communication

Level 4: Complex communication

Level 5: Emotional ideas

Level 6: Emotional and logical thinking

Claims

There have been various claims made for the DIR Method. For example, The Interdisciplinary Council on Development and Learning website, accessed on 8 March 2016, claims that,

“DIRFloortime has the strongest research of any intervention to support its effectiveness in improving the core challenges of autism including relating, interacting, and communicating while decreasing caregiver stress and improving parent-child relationships.”

The website cites various research studies to support this claim. For example, it reports